Clement “Smokey” Kaopua Kanehailua went to be with his Lord on March 8, 2019 at age 85 surrounded by his family after battling heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. Smokey was born September 14, 1933 in N. Kohala, HI to parents Clement Kanehailua and Jeanette (Chang) (Kanehailua) Perez. At age 14, he worked as a cowboy and bulldozer operator at Kahua Ranch. He served in the Hawaii National Guard and was a US Marine Corps veteran. While stationed on the mainland, he found a passion in racing. He was a pioneer in the golden days of West Coast drag racing, and in the sport of hydroplane racing attempted to break the 200-mph record.
Following his military service, Smokey worked as a mechanic at Dragmaster, Carlsbad, CA and moved on to open Smokey’s Service Center in 1969. He and his wife, Pat, moved the business to Oceanside to expand and add a high-performance parts store and machine shop. Smokey will be remembered by many for his hard work, honesty and professionalism; kind and welcoming attitude; and dedication and care for his craft which allowed Smokey’s Auto Parts Speed & Machine to have been in business for 50 years. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Patricia Kanehailua; siblings, Bertha (Donald) Walls, DaveyAnn Hao, Dorothy (Benjamin) Badua, Gertrude (Joseph Sr. (deceased)) Glory, Rocky (Melva) Perez, Earline (Theodore) Miller, John Pua Kanehailua, Lawrence Kiha (Janice) Kanehailua, Nona Kanehailua, Arlene (Marlon) Ramones; sons, Milton (Christine) Kanehailua, Raymond (Marilynn) Kanehailua, Scott (Francine) Higley, Clement Kanehailua Jr., James Wilson, Joseph Kanehailua; daughters, Ann (Timothy) Kanehailua-Coito, Deanna (Lafi) Tuiletufuga, Jeanette (Glenn) Goodrich; 26 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by parents, Clement (Tillie) Kanehailua and Jeanette (Clement) Perez, former spouse, Machiko Kanehailua; siblings, James Kalani Kanehailua, Leilani Kanehailua-Kaneko; son, Donald Kanehailua and daughter, Leilani (Jeffrey) Araki.
Though he's missed dearly, and the loss of his presence is heavily felt, his legacy lives on in his family, many close friends, and those he left such a positive impact.
Though God decided to call him home, we can take comfort that he's in the presence of loved ones departed, smiling and eagerly waiting our reunion with him.
Arrangements by Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Oceanside, CA. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (adrc.ucsd.edu/givenow.html).
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